Utah’s Premier Professional Theatre in Residence at the University of Utah

October 25—November 9, 2024
Simmons Pioneer Memorial Theatre
Play | Utah Premiere

By Joshua Harmon

Runtime: 3 hours (including two 10-minute intermissions)

Fresh off its hit Broadway run and winner of the 2022 Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle Award

In 2016, a curious American student named Molly seeks to connect with her family in France. When her cousin becomes the victim of an anti-Semitic attack, Molly’s uncle Charles—who immigrated from Algeria—decides to move to Israel. This earns the dismay of Molly’s anti-Zionist uncle Patrick, all set against the growing threat of political extremism in France. Timely and poignant, Prayer for the French Republic had several extended sold-out runs both off and on Broadway. Deadline calls the production “blistering, funny, and heartbreaking,” and The Wall Street Journal said it was “easily the finest play of the Broadway season.” Don’t miss your chance to see one of the hottest plays in the nation—in one of its first productions outside of New York.

“Gripping and epic!” — The Chicago Tribune

“5 Stars! Packs a wallop.” — New York Stage Review

$44-57 ($5 more per ticket if purchased at the door)

“Prayer for the French Republic” is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc.. www.concordtheatricals.com

Important Dates

Monday–Thursday 7:00 PM
Friday & Saturday 7:30 PM
Saturday 2:00 PM

  • ASL-Interpreted Performance: Monday, November 4 @ 7:00 PM
  • Curtain Call for All (“Pay What You Can”) Performance*: Thursday, October 31 at 7:00 PM

    *must book by calling 801-581-6961 or visiting the PTC Box Office in person

Sponsors

Marriner S. Eccles Foundation

Overview

Cast

JAPHET BALABAN
JUDITH LIGHTFOOT CLARKE
JOEL LEFFERT
ROBERT MAMMANA
MATTHEW MCGLOIN
KIM TAFF
ALOK TAWERI
MAGGIE GOBLE
TRUE LEAVITT
JAYNE LUKE
ZOE LUPCHO
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Creative Team

JOSHUA HARMON (Playwright) Plays include Bad Jews, Significant Other, Admissions, Skintight, and Prayer for the French Republic. He and Sarah Silverman co-wrote the libretto for The Bedwetter based on her memoir. His plays have been produced on Broadway and the West End; off-Broadway at Roundabout Theatre Company, Lincoln Center Theater, Manhattan Theater Club and Atlantic Theater Company; across the country at Geffen Playhouse, Speakeasy, Studio Theatre, Theater Wit, About Face, Actor’s Express, and The Magic, among others; and internationally in a dozen countries. He is a two-time MacDowell fellow and an Associate Artist at Roundabout. Graduate of Juilliard.

KAREN AZENBERG (Director) This marks Karen Azenberg’s 13th season as Artistic Director at PTC. Favorite projects include last season’s Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 and The Lehman Trilogy, as well as the world premiere of Alabama Story, the regional premiere of Sting’s The Last Ship, and Newsies, The Play That Goes Wrong, and The Rocky Horror Show. Originally from New York, her work there includes Lyrics and Lyricists (92nd St. Y), Blocks (a collaboration with Jonathan Larson) Prom Queens Unchained, and choreography for Richard Greenberg’s The Dazzle (Roundabout Theatre Company). Among her other credits are over 15 productions of West Side Story and she has worked with Indiana Repertory Theatre, Geva Theatre, Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Goodspeed, Theatre Aspen, and Utah Shakespeare Festival. Karen is a past president of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society (SDC) and is a proud Mom to Alexander and Emelia.

BRYCE CUTLER (Scenic Design) Previous designs include Grand Horizons on Broadway; 2020 Pulitzer Prize finalist Soft Power at The Public Theater; along with world premieres by John Patrick Shanley, Dael Orlandersmith, Matt Aucoin, and Grammy Award winner Steve Mackey; Other projects include Samsung’s virtual reality television series Interpretation of Dreams; Feel The Pride, an AI powered audio-visual installation with St. Vincent; and a virtual reality arcade for Muse’s 2019 World Tour. Co- founder of the political theater collective Third Space, winner of the 2017 USITT Rising Star Award, a 2019 L.B. Tobin Director-Designer Finalist, and his design for The Lady In Red… was selected for international exhibition at the 2015 Prague Quadrennial. He is a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University. BryceCutler.com 

SUSAN BRANCH TOWNE (Costume Design) is thrilled to return to PTC, where she has designed 21 shows, including Christmas at Pemberley, A Comedy of Tenors, The Tempest, Hamlet, Tartuffe, My Fair Lady, and Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. Other regional engagements include Denver Center Theatre Company, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Utah Shakespeare Festival, Syracuse Stage and Geva Theatre. Susan is based in Austin, Texas where she has designed for Ballet Austin, Conspirare, Austin Opera, and over 35 shows for Zach Theatre. Susan has been on faculty at St. Edward’s University since 2012. She holds a BFA from Carnegie Mellon University and an MFA from the Yale School of Drama, and has been a member of United Scenic Artists, Local 829 since 1986.

JOSÉ SANTIAGO (Lighting Design) is a New York City based Lighting Designer. His work has been seen at Chicago Opera, The Paramount Theatre (Aurora, IL), Drury Lane (Chicago), Center REP, Bristol Riverside Theatre, North Shore Music Theatre, Theatre by the Sea, Bay Street Theatre, Gretna Playhouse, The Gateway, The Engeman Theater, Guild Hall, Penobscot Theatre, 5 Star Theatricals, Slow Burn Theatre, Gulfshore Playhouse. He received his MFA in Lighting Design from Florida State University. Proud member of USA829 and represented by Michael Moore Agency. www.jsantiagodesign.com 

JOE PAYNE (Sound Design) was the resident sound designer for PTC from 2000 to 2010 and was a guest designer and composer for The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime in 2017.  Currently, he heads the Sound and Media Design MFA at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Joe has designed sound, projections, and/or composed music for more than 250 productions throughout the United States, including twenty seasons at the Utah Shakespeare Festival, Riverside Theatre (Vero Beach, FL), Berkeley Rep, Syracuse Stage, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Indiana Repertory Theatre, Alabama Shakespeare Festival, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, and others. Joe is a member of United Scenic Artists USA Local 829 and the Theatrical Sound Designers and Composers Association.

ALEXANDRA HARBOLD (Dramaturg) has served as dramaturg on PTC’s Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812, The Lehman Trilogy, What the Constitution Means to Me, Mary Stuart, The Lifespan of a Fact, Sweat, Oslo, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Sting’s The Last Ship, I Hate Hamlet, An Inspector Calls, and Of Mice and Men. Current projects include directing The Heart of Robin Hood and co-creating a new project with Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company Artistic Director Daniel Charon. Harbold is Co-founder and Co-artistic director of Flying Bobcat and Assistant Professor of Directing for the University of Utah’s Department of Theatre. AlexandraHarbold.com

TAMI LEE THOMPSON (Hair & Makeup Design) Previous credits include: Jersey Boys, Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812, Bonnie & Clyde, and Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express (Pioneer Theatre Company); Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Christmas Goose and A Christmas Story (Barter Theater); Jelly’s Last Jam, The Underpants, A Christmas Carol, Bluish, Intimate Apparel, Moonlight and Magnolias, Tick, Tick…. Boom!, and The Stinky Cheeseman and Other Fairly Stupid Tales (Alliance Theater); A Flea in Her Ear, Da, Born Yesterday, Twelfth Night, Inherit The Wind, and The Philadelphia Story (Asolo Theater); Twelfth Night, Coriolanus, and King Lear (Utah Shakespeare Festival); Bertolt Brecht’s The Life of Galileo (University of Notre Dame); and 42nd Street (Pacific Conservatory for the Performing Arts).

JAMES O. HANSEN* (Production Stage Manager) is thrilled to be in his second season here at Pioneer Theatre Company! Other credits include: Joseph…Dreamcoat (starring David Archuleta), Mary Poppins, and Wonderland at Tuacahn Amphitheatre. Clue (starring Sally Struthers), The Wedding Singer, A Christmas Carol, and Flashdance (starring Julia Macchio) at The Gateway Playhouse. James earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Arts Management from Dean College. Special thanks to his Mom, Family, and Ostie for their love and support! DHH.

EMILY ROTH* (Stage Manager) is very excited to be joining Pioneer Theatre Company this season! Recent credits include: The Woman in Black US Tour (Pemberley Productions), Miss Saigon (White Plains Performing Arts Center), Dial M for Murder and Sea Monsters of the Deep (White Heron Theatre Company), Lesley Nicol’s How The Hell Did I Get Here? (Pemberley Productions), and Ajijaak on Turtle Island (IBEX Puppetry). She is the co-author of Stage Management Basics: A Primer for Performing Arts Stage Managers (Focal Press © 2017, 2nd ed © 2022).

MURNANE CASTING is a first-class office in New York City specializing in casting theatre, film, and television projects nationwide. We focus on developing new works and collaborating with emerging creators. Our mission is to curate exceptional ensembles of artists in a relaxed and imaginative casting environment. Learn more at MurnaneCasting.com.

MANHATTAN THEATRE CLUB Under the leadership of Artistic Director Lynne Meadow and Executive Producer Barry Grove, MTC has become one of the country’s most prominent and prestigious theatre companies. The mission of MTC, since 1972, has been to produce innovative theatre of the highest quality by American and international playwrights, with a focus on presenting New York, American, and world premieres. Over more than four decades, MTC productions have earned numerous awards including 7 Pulitzer Prizes, 28 Tony Awards, 50 Drama Desk Awards and 49 Obie Awards. Some of our most recent premieres include Prayer for the French Republic by Joshua Harmon; Cost of Living by Martyna Majok; The Collaboration by Anthony McCarten; Summer, 1976 by David Auburn; Skeleton Crew by Dominique Morisseau; Morning Sun by Simon Stephens; Lackawanna Blues by Ruben Santiago-Hudson; My Name is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout, adapted by Rona Munro; Ink by James Graham; Choir Boy by Tarell Alvin McCraney; and August Wilson’s Jitney. For more information on MTC, please visit www.ManhattanTheatreClub.com.

PIONEER THEATRE COMPANY (PTC) Now celebrating its 63rd season, the award-winning PTC is Utah’s premiere professional theatre company and leading arts organization of the West. Led by Artistic Director Karen Azenberg and Managing Director Adrian Budhu, PTC presents world-class productions that celebrate diversity in culture and society and serve as the connecting bridge between art and scholarship as an affiliate of the University of Utah. 

ACTORS’ EQUITY ASSOCIATION (AEA) Founded in 1933, AEA represents more than 51,000 professional Actors and Stage Managers nationwide. Equity seeks to foster the art of live theatre as an essential component of society and advances the careers of its members by negotiating wages, improving working conditions and providing a wide range of benefits, including health and pension plans. Actor’s Equity is a member of the AFL-CIO and is affiliated with FIA, an international organization of performing arts unions. #equityworks

*Member of Actors’ Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States

Media

Publicity

Study Guide

Content Advisory

Please Note:  

The age-based guidance below is intended as a recommendation only. We do encourage you to use your judgment based on your own research of the show, your own sensibilities, and a child’s age and maturity level.

Also, in accordance with theatrical licensing agreements, Pioneer Theatre Company presents each production as originally written and intended by its author(s). If you are concerned with any content beyond what is provided below, a copy of each production script is available for in-person perusal during PTC’s regular Box Office hours.

Prayer for the French Republic: For Which Audiences?

Contains strong adult language and mature themes. This production includes descriptions and discussions of antisemitism, violence and death related to the Holocaust, hate crimes, and sexual violence. Recommended for ages 13 and up.

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